Words of wisdom and life lessons are often found in strange places. In fact, most of the profound lessons that I have come to realize have been discovered in some of the most unlikely of places. Learning how to become a better person is a struggle. Learning how to become a functional adult in a world of chaos can be, at times, the greatest struggle we will endure. In a world of differing opinions and an overabundance of information at our fingertips how can we ensure that we are making sound judgments?
I recently wrote a piece titled 'Priests and Porn Addiction: A Full Scale Farce.' I was disheartened to say the least when I received email after email attacking me for insulting the sanctity of the church. To say the point of this article was lost on most would be an understatement at best. The idea was not to attack anyone's church or their religious beliefs. I was merely stating that taking responsibility for one's actions and accepting the consequences has all but become a thing of the past. We are becoming more and more comfortable with allowing others to point a finger and use the proverbial "The dog made me do it" excuse. Since using "porn addicted priests" as an example has failed to get my point across, I will rely on science to help me out.
Anyone who has spent any time at all inside a classroom knows that Sir Isaac Newton's laws on motion provide the basic fundamental principles of physics. But, what they also provide is the basic outline for making responsible choices, fostering healthy relationships and accepting personal responsibility for one's actions. Sir Newton states that "A body continues to maintain its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force." Isn't that basically the same thing as saying that we will forever remain in a state of inertia if we don't open our minds to the idea of change? Simply put, nothing changes until we put forth the effort to make change happen. It requires hard work and a force of will to modify our current situation. But human nature is to sit idly by and wait for things to happen. If that's how we intend for drastic improvements to be made to our personal and external environments -- our theory is seriously flawed. The message is simple: Take Action.
Sir Newton's second law is "F = ma: the net force on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration." Stated in simpler terms, doesn't that really just mean that we must first learn what our weaknesses are and use our strengths to counteract them in order to make progress?
If there are areas of in our lives that need improvement doesn't it stand to reason, when applying Newton's law, that the more we use our strengths, the more we move ahead. Instead of focusing on what qualities we don't have, we should utilize the qualities we do have to the best of our ability. It's force that causes acceleration and not velocity. Simply put, it takes will and intestinal fortitude to make a difference or an impact. We are in charge of our own reality. But, it is much easier to play the martyr and just let life happen, right?
Lastly, "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." This is without a doubt my favorite of Sir Isaac's laws. Although by now I'm sure I have revealed the high level of nerd that I actually operate at, this law is the basic foundation and cornerstone of human kindness, decision making and interpersonal relationship we will ever enter into. It may sound strange to equate the laws of physics to our modern culture but, isn't this basically just reiterating the good old fashioned Golden Rule we all learned in primary school? Intrinsically, we all want respect. We desire to be treated with kindness. However, we often expect respect without actually giving it in return. Every action has a consequence. If we go against the actual laws of physics, why are we surprised when the result is less than satisfactory?
The world can be complicated. This isn't news to anyone. But, there are some basic fundamentals that will forever remain unchanged. Some things in life are just facts. Every decision you make will have an effect on the next moment. Choose wisely. Weigh your options, think clearly, make sound judgments and realize your own potential. We truly are responsible for our own reality. I will venture to say that if Sir Isaac Newton were alive, he would be inclined to agree.